Dozens of women from the Marshall Islands are traveling to the U.S. every year to adopt out their babies to U.S. families despite government efforts to crack down on this unique baby pipeline. We examine the people and practices that are continuing to perpetuate the problem.

University of Hawaii researchers tracked dozens of hungry tiger
sharks to a remote atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine
National Monument this summer. Civil Beat photojournalist Alana
Eagle documents the expedition in this multimedia special report.

A Civil Beat Investigation: In Hawaii’s workers’ comp system, people with long-lasting injuries are often forced to battle doctors hand-picked by insurance companies to get treatment and disability payments.

Hawaii Selects Eight Companies To Grow And Sell Medical Marijuana

Former CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple David Cole’s Maui Wellness Group LLC is among eight companies that have been selected to receive licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana.

Hawaii Department of Health’s Virginia Pressler announced the names of the winners of the highly competitive licenses Friday in a crowded conference room on the third floor of Kinau Hale in downtown Honolulu.

TCG Retro Market 1, LLC, also known as Cure Oahu, won one of three licenses to establish dispensaries on Oahu. The company’s primary investor is Tradewind Capital Group, which is led by Richard Lim, who served as a Cabinet member under former Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and Honolulu businessman Colbert Matsumoto, a newly appointed board member for the city’s controversial rail project.

Crowds wait downstairs of Kinau Hale as only media were allowed to the press conference.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Duane Kurisu, who owns PacificBasin Communications, is a member of the board of directors at Tradewind Capital Group. Both Kurisu and Matsumoto are on the board of Oahu Publications Inc., which owns the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Kurisu as an officer at Tradewind Capital Group.

Cure Oahu’s executive director is Tan Yan Chen, a former staff member at the state energy office who worked under Lim when he led the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Local technology consultant Brian Goldstein’s Manoa Botanicals, LLC was also selected to receive a license to open up a dispensary on Oahu.

“We feel grateful and humbled to be selected as one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii,” Goldstein said in a phone interview.

He said the company has raised more than $5 million and is fully funded. He declined to name his team members and investors, but they include Alan Gottlieb, vice president at Ponoholo Ranch Limited and former president of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council.

Big Island banana farmer Richard Ha, who serves on the state Board of Agriculture’s board, won one of two licenses in Hawaii County.

Cole is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Hawaii BioEnergy LLC. His partner at Maui Wellness Group LLC is Gregory Park, a physician.

The law firm Alston, Hunt, Floyd & Ing is representing both Manoa Botanicals and Maui Wellness Group, in addition to one of the two companies selected to run dispensaries in Hawaii County: Hawaiian Ethos LLC, which is run by Shelby Floyd, a former partner in the law firm.

The only licensee chosen for Kauai is a company owned by Justin Britt, who leads Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers.

“We look forward to improving access to qualified patients so that they have access to a safe product very soon,” Pressler said.

The companies have a week to accept the licenses and pay $75,000 each. Dispensaries will be allowed to open their doors on July 15.

Hawaii legalized medical cannabis 15 years ago, but so far, patients have had to grow their own or rely on a caregiver.

This summer will be the first time patients will be allowed to buy marijuana at stores.

Legal Challenge Ongoing

The company Piko Farms & Nursery sought to derail the announcement by filing a last-minute temporary restraining order Thursday.

“Due to glitches, crashes, and defects in the computers and computer servers of the defendant, and through no fault of the plaintiff, plaintiff’s application for a medical marijuana dispensary license, was somehow not received by defendant, and/or if received, was later lost by defendant,” the company wrote in its complaint.

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